News

2013

• ILO report shows why social protection is crucial to tackle child labour • Arabic - (pdf 574KB)
  30 April 2013  -  Measures such as cash transfers or health insurance programmes can sometimes determine whether a child spends the day studying and playing, or working and being deprived of a fair chance at a decent future.
• Jordan moves to prevent fire risks in factories and dormitories - (pdf 357KB)• Arabic - (pdf 892KB)
  28 April 2013  -  As part of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Better Work Jordan (BWJ) will hold meeting of key stakeholders to discuss fire risks at factories and migrant dormitories and ways to prevent them.
• Better Work Jordan hosts International Buyers' Forum for the Garment Industry. - (pdf 302KB)• Arabic - (pdf 230KB)
  16 April 2013  -  The International Labour Organization hosts a meeting of key stakeholders in the garment industry to work towards consensus on key issues related to working conditions.
• Join our Q&A session on forced labour in the Middle East • Arabic - (pdf 318KB)
  10 April 2013  -  The head of the ILO Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour, Beate Andrees to host a Twitter Q&A on the forced labour situation in the Middle East on Wednesday 10 April.
• Tricked and trapped: How migrant workers are getting a raw deal in the Middle East - (pdf 443KB)• Arabic - (pdf 988KB)
  09 April 2013  -  ILO reveals how an estimated 600,000 migrant workers are tricked and trapped into forced labour across the Middle East at the first-ever tripartite regional conference on human trafficking.
• Jordan adopts policy to tackle HIV and AIDS at work, a first in the Arab region - (pdf 227KB)• Arabic - (pdf 791KB)
  08 April 2013  -  Jordan has become the first Arab country to adopt a national policy targeting HIV/AIDS in the workplace since an international labour standard on HIV/AIDS and the world of work was adopted at the 99th Session of the International Labour Conference in 2010.
• Rethinking Arab Economic Growth at the International Institute for Labour Studies - (pdf 400KB)• Arabic - (pdf 362KB)
  21 March 2013  -  Roundtable on the findings of an ILO and UNDP report on the causes and consequences of the Arab uprisings.
• ILO and UNDP to hold national consultation on Jordan’s post 2015 Development Agenda and Economic Growth - (pdf 3,410KB)• Arabic - (pdf 156KB)
  13 March 2013  -  The International Labour Organization and the United Nations Development Programme will hold a consultation workshop on the findings of the report Rethinking Economic Growth: Towards Productive and Inclusive Arab Societies in light of progress towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in Jordan on Wednesday (March 13).
• ILO launches global photo contest "WORK4YOUTH" • Arabic - (pdf 353KB)
  13 March 2013  -  The ILO Youth Employment Programme is organizing a photo contest to shed light on youth employment issues, the challenges young people face in the workplace as well as their power to overcome them. Zoom in for the top prize!
• A strategic alliance for youth employment • Arabic - (pdf 399KB)
  4 March 2013  -  The ILO presents a technical cooperation portfolio that calls for the mobilization of resources and partnerships to tackle the youth employment crisis.
• International Labour Standards and Reporting in Kuwait - (pdf 234KB)• Arabic - (pdf 435KB)
  28 February 2013  -  A national tripartite workshop on "International Labour Standards and Reporting" will convene in Kuwait from 3-5 March 2013 under the patronage of the Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Thikra al-Rashidi and in collaboration with the International Labour Organization.
• ILO publishes the annual report on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations 2013 • Arabic - (pdf 348KB)
  25 February 2013  -  The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, whose work constitutes the cornerstone of the ILO's supervisory system on international labour standards, has just published its annual reports.
• Draft decree to regulate private recruitment agencies in Lebanon - (pdf 3,414KB)• Arabic - (pdf 234KB)
  25 February 2013  -  The Ministry of Labour convened a roundtable discussion with government, worker, employer and civil society representatives on a draft decree to regulate private recruitment agencies on Monday (25 February), in collaboration with the International Labour Organization and supported by the European Union and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
• Kuwait renews support for ILO programmes in occupied Palestinian territory  - (pdf 307KB) • Arabic - (pdf 500KB)
  22 February 2013 -  Kuwait’s Permanent Representative in Geneva, Ambassador Dharar Razzooqi, presented a US$500,000 cheque to ILO Director General Guy Ryder on Wednesday (February 20), renewing Kuwait’s support for the ILO’s activities in the occupied Palestinian territory.
• Roundtable on new draft decree to regulate private placement agencies - (pdf 252KB)• Arabic - (pdf 435KB)
  22 February 2013  -  A roundtable discussion on the regulation of private recruitment agencies in Lebanon, governed by Decree no. 13/1 since 2009, will be held at the Ministry of Labour on Monday (25 February), under the patronage of H.E. Minister Salim Jreissati.
• Jordan law enforcement officials train to combat forced labour and human trafficking - (pdf 196KB)• Arabic - (pdf 181KB)
  14 February 2013  -  Jordanian law enforcement officials are attending a pilot training programme organised by the ILO in Amman from February 18-20, 2013 to better identify, investigate and respond to cases of forced labour and human trafficking.
• ILO and UNDP "Rethink Economic Growth" for Arab social justice - (pdf 196KB)• Arabic - (pdf 693KB)
  05 February 2013  -  The Arab uprisings have exposed skewed development policies, social justice deficits and over two decades of poorly managed economic liberalization, according to a joint report by the International Labour Organization and the UN Development Programme released on Tuesday (February 5).
• Women trade unionists to convene regional meeting in Beirut - (pdf 3,343KB)• Arabic - (pdf 303KB)
  31 January 2013  -  Arab women trade unionists, seeking a greater role in workers' organizations, will convene a regional workshop on Lebanon from February 4 o 6, entitled: "Women and trade unions in Arab countries: Decent work through organizing".
• Launch of "Rethinking Economic Growth" report - (pdf 135KB)• Arabic - (pdf 425KB)
  30 January 2013  -  The International Labour Organization and the United Nations Development Programme will launch the report “Rethinking Economic Growth: Towards Productive and Inclusive Arab Societies” on Tuesday 5 February at 1100gmt.
• Lebanon’s first public job match site makes it easier to find work - (pdf 324KB) • Arabic - (pdf 345KB)
  25 January 2013  -  Online job matching service links employers and jobseekers free of charge nationwide.
• Global unemployment rising again but with significant differences across regions • Arabic - (pdf 872KB)
  22 January 2013  -  Five years after the outbreak of the global financial crisis, labour markets remain deeply depressed. Unemployment has started to rise again as the economic outlook worsens.
  See Executive Summary of Global employment trends 2013.
• Rise of middle-class jobs in the developing world could spur growth • Arabic - (pdf 362KB)
  21 January 2013 390 million additional “middle class” workers projected by 2017, but 1.5 billion workers remain either poor or near poor.
• National Employment Office to launch E-Labour Exchange - (pdf 198KB) • Arabic - (pdf 465KB)
  25 January 2013  -  The National Employment Office (NEO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) will unveil an electronic labour exchange on Friday (January 25), which enables jobseekers to access online information on job opportunities and occupational data, and links them to employers.
• Yemen reveals results of first national child labour survey - (pdf 179KB) • Arabic - (pdf 305KB)
  10 January 2013  -  The results of Yemen’s first national child labour survey will be revealed on Monday (January 14) at an event that brings together more than seventy government, worker, employer, civil society and donor representatives in Sanaa.
• More than 52 million domestic workers worldwide • Arabic - (pdf 680KB)
  09 January 2013  -  Millions of domestic workers around the world remain excluded from protection enjoyed by other workers, says a new ILO report.

2012

• US$2.5 million to improve labour migration governance in the Middle East - (pdf 163KB) • Arabic - (pdf 374KB)
  17 December 2012  -  Low skilled migrants in Middle East can look forward to better labour migration governance and improved protection mechanisms, the objectives of a major regional project launched by the ILO this month, and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
• Labour market gender gaps: Two steps forward, one step back • Arabic - (pdf 389KB)
  Gender gaps in global labour markets showed some convergence in the earlier part of the last decade but increased after the crisis erupted in 2007, according to an ILO report produced in collaboration with UN Women. The picture varies considerably among regions.
• Norway supports skills and entrepreneurship for youth in Yemen - (pdf 109KB) • Arabic - (pdf 360KB)
  10 December 2012  -  The ILO and the Government of Norway have launched a project to promote skills development and youth entrepreneurship in Yemen in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, trade unions and employers’ organizations.
• ILO to launch mapping of NGO services for migrant domestic workers in Lebanon - (pdf 479KB) • Arabic - (pdf 585KB)
  26 November 2012  -  The International Labour Organization will issue a report mapping NGO services for women migrant domestic workers in Lebanon on Tuesday (November 27), as part of the Action Programme for Protecting the Rights of Women Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon (PROWD) financed by the European Union and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
• Palestinians in Lebanon working but under precarious conditions - (pdf 123KB) • Arabic - (pdf 737KB)
  20 November 2012  -  Restrictions on the Palestinian right to work lead to exploitative conditions but do not shut them out of the labour market, says ILO-CEP-EU study.
• Domestic workers' rights both "necessary" and "feasible" - (pdf 59KB) • Arabic - (pdf 291KB)
  24 October 2012  -  Conference on ILO Convention No. 189 places decent work for domestic workers on the regional policy agenda
• Regional conference on domestic work in the Arab States to convene in Cairo - (pdf 264KB) • Arabic - (pdf 485KB)
  19 October 2012  -  Government, worker, employer representatives, civil society groups, diplomatic missions and international organizations will convene in Cairo from 22-24 October to discuss domestic work in the Arab States.
• ILO says discrimination against young girls must end • Arabic - (pdf 328KB)
  10 October 2012  -  ILO Director-General Guy Ryder has called for a coherent set of measures to ensure that girl children around the world attain social justice and progress.
• Ministry of Labour and ILO to examine challenges, opportunities for Decent Work in Lebanon - (pdf 172KB) • Arabic - (pdf 328KB)
  27 September 2012  -  The Ministry of Labour and the ILO launched a public consultation on the state of the Lebanese labour market on Wednesday (September 26), ahead of the publication of a joint report that examines employment creation, social protection, social dialogue and rights at work in Lebanon.
• Hopes raised for Arab minimum wage - (pdf 47KB) • Arabic - (pdf 458KB)
  20 September 2012  -  The "Regional Tripartite Meeting on Wage Policies in the Arab Countries" came to a close in Amman on Thursday (September 20) with government, employer and worker pledges to work towards fairer pay.
• Arab workers need a minimum of income protection, says ILO - (pdf 209KB) • Arabic - (pdf 209KB)
  17 September 2012  -  Governments could lift millions out of poverty by adopting more coherent and inclusive minimum wage setting policies, the ILO will tell participants at the “Regional Tripartite Meeting on Wage Policies in the Arab Countries” which opens in Amman on Monday (September 17).
• ILO calls for urgent investment in youth work opportunities • Arabic - (pdf 738KB)
  12 September 2012  -  The International Labour Organization (ILO) has called for an urgent investment in opportunities for young people to tackle the challenge of growing youth unemployment.
• Landmark treaty for domestic workers to come into force • Arabic - (pdf 715KB)
  05 September 2012  -  The Philippines has become the second country to ratify the ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, thus allowing the first global standard for domestic workers to come into force in twelve months' time.
• Youth suicide underlines ILO call for action on jobs in the occupied Palestinian territory • Arabic - (pdf 278KB)
  05 September 2012  -  The death this week of Ihab Abu Nada, a young Palestinian who set himself on fire after months of desperately looking for a job, is a graphic reminder of the precarious situation of workers in the occupied Palestinian territory.
• Youth unemployment getting even worse • Arabic - (pdf 278KB)
  05 September 2012  -  Jobless rates among young people will get even worse globally as the spillover of the euro crisis spreads from advanced to emerging economies, according to an ILO paper titled "Global Employment Outlook: Bleak Labour Market Prospects for Youth".
• Enhancing NGO and Media Engagement in the Campaign for Migrant Domestic Workers - (pdf 32KB) • Arabic - (pdf 399KB)
  19 June 2012  -  In the context of the EU-funded project “Action Programme for Promoting the Rights of Women Migrant Domestic Workers/PROWD,” the International Labour Organization’s Regional Office for Arab States (ILO-ROAS) is convening a three-day workshopon enhancing NGO engagement in the campaign for migrant domestic workers rights.
• 101st ILO annual conference concludes with call for democracy in Myanmar • Arabic - (pdf 370KB)
  15 June 2012  -  The annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) concluded its 101st session with a call from Aung San Suu Kyi for help in boosting democracy in her country.
• New ILO Recommendation calls for Social Protection Floor for all • Arabic - (pdf 434KB)
  14 June 2012  -  With more than five billion people lacking adequate social security, the new international labour standard adopted by the International Labour Conference calls for providing people with essential health care and benefits, as well as basic income security (*) constituting national social protection floors.
• Aid, investment needed to strengthen democracy in Myanmar: Suu Kyi • Arabic - (pdf 431KB)
  14 June 2012  -  In a landmark address to the ILO, Aung San Suu Kyi called for international aid and investment to help build a better future for Myanmar and highlighted the problems of youth unemployment.
• Social protection expands despite crisis, ILO-World Bank report says •  Arabic - (pdf 106KB)
  11 June 2012  - A new ILO-World Bank report and online data tool presented at the 101st International Labour Conference shows that social protection systems expanded in many parts of the world between 2008 and 2010.
• Stepping up the fight against child labour •  Arabic - (pdf 106KB)
  11 June 2012  -  A large gap remains between the ratification of Conventions on child labour and the actions countries take to deal with the problem, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a report marking the tenth anniversary of the annual World Day Against Child Labour.
• "No democracy without social justice," says Tunisian President •  Arabic - (pdf 98KB)
  08 June 2012  -  The Tunisian President, whose country had spearheaded the Arab Spring uprisings, sent a strong message to the international community, warning that failure to respond to popular demands for social justice could rapidly lead to violence.
• Media advisory: World Day Against Child Labour, 12 June 2012 •  Arabic - (pdf 121KB)
  07 June 2012  -  This year’s annual World Day against Child Labour will put the spotlight on the progress that ILO Member States have made in the application of the ILO’s Conventions on Child Labour.
• Global concern for jobs can help bring us out of the crisis, says ILO chief •  Arabic - (pdf 230KB)
  06 June 2012  -  The turmoil in the global economy makes countries look inwards, precisely at a time when the world needs concerted action to get out of the crisis, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia told delegates to the International Labour Conference.
• ILO chief on world economy: Too much focus on finance, too little on society •  Arabic - (pdf 236KB)
  06 June 2012  -  It is possible to turn the inefficient growth patterns of today’s world economy around but this requires a redefinition of priorities and the political conviction to overcome the dogmas of the past, said ILO chief Juan Somavia, in his address to the plenary session of the International Labour Conference.
• The situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories remains precarious, ILO says • Arabic - (pdf 107KB)
  04 June 2012  -  The situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories is extremely worrying and remains precarious according to the annual report of the International Labour Organization (ILO) submitted to the 101st Session of the International Labour Conference..
• National Conference on Establishment of a Social Protection Floor in Jordan - (pdf 647KB) • Arabic - (pdf 142KB)
  31 May 2012  -  The International Labour Organization and the Social Security Corporation in Jordan organized in collaboration with UNICEF and WHO a national conference on the establishment of a social protection floor in Jordan on Tuesday May 29, 2012, in Amman.
• Time for policy rethink to tackle global economic crisis, head of the ILO says • Arabic - (pdf 736KB)
  31 May 2012  -  In his opening speech to the 101st International Labour Conference, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Juan Somavia, focused on the youth employment crisis, social protection floors, Myanmar, the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories, the Eurozone crisis and basic labour rights.
• Guy Ryder elected as ILO Director-General • Arabic - (pdf 736KB)
  31 May 2012  -  The International Labour Organization (ILO) has elected Guy Ryder as its tenth Director-General. Ryder, who is currently the ILO’s Executive Director for International Labour Standards and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, was elected by secret ballot by the ILO’s Governing Body. He will begin his five-year term in October 2012.
• National Conference on Establishment of a Social Protection Floor in Jordan  - (pdf 98B) • Arabic - (pdf 86KB)
  28 May 2012  -  TA one-day tripartite national conference on the establishment of a social protection floor in Jordan will be organized jointly by the International Labour Organization and the Jordanian Social Security Corporation, in collaboration with UNICEF and WHO, on Tuesday May 29, 2012, at the Social Security Corporation premises (Amman, Mecca Street), with the objective to assist the Government of Jordan in the progressive extension of social protection measures through introducing the Social Protection Floor Initiative.
• Four million more jobless youth since 2007 • Arabic - (pdf 196KB)
  22 May 2012  -  The global youth unemployment rate for 2012 remains stuck at crisis peak levels and is not expected to come down until at least 2016, says the International Labour Organization (ILO) in its Global Employment Trends for Youth 2012 report (www.ilo.org/getyouth).
• National Consultation on Youth Employment in Jordan  - (pdf 198KB) • Arabic - (pdf 169KB)
  20 April 2012  -  The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) organized a national consultation on youth employment in Jordan on Thursday 19 April 2012, in a bid to map out current activities, and identify potential synergies.
• National Consultation on Youth Employment in Jordan  - (pdf 40B) • Arabic - (pdf 66KB)
  18 April 2012  -  The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will be organizing a national consultation on youth employment in Amman on Thursday 19 April 2012 at the ECOSOC premises (Shmeisani), in a bid to map out current activities, and identify potential synergies.
• Workshop on Developing Code of Conduct and Monitoring Mechanism for Syndicate of the Owners of the Workers Recruitment Agencies in Lebanon (SORAL)  - (pdf 102KB) • Arabic - (pdf 93KB)
  12 April 2012  -  In the context of the EU-funded project "Promoting Rights of Women Domestic Workers/PROWD," the International Labour Organization Regional Office for Arab States (ILO-ROAS) is collaborating with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Syndicate of the Owners of Recruitment Agencies in Lebanon (SORAL) to convene a two-day workshop on the development of a code of conduct for SORAL on 11 & 12 April 2012 at Holiday Inn Hotel / Verdun.
• Expert Meeting on Youth Employment in the Arab States  - (pdf 87B) • Arabic - (pdf 123KB)
  13 March 2012  -  A two-day expert meeting was jointly organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Friedbrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in Beirut on 12-13 March 2012 in order to take stock of the existing knowledge on youth employment, and to review practical solutions to the current deficits of decent work for youth in the MENA region.
• Launching of Jordan Decent Work Country Programme and Moving Towards a Child Labour Free Jordan Project  - (pdf 77KB) • Arabic - (pdf 309KB)
  10 March 2012 - The International Labour Organization (ILO) through its Regional Office for Arab States is launching the second Decent Work Country Programme for Jordan through an official ceremony on Sunday 11 March 2012 at the Landmark Hotel in Amman
• ILO hosts Atayeb Palestine charity lunch at Tawlet, as part of the Palestinian Women's Economic Empowerment Project  - (pdf 46KB) • Arabic - (pdf 657KB)
  24 February 2012 - ILO and Souk El Tayeb will host a charity lunch at Tawlet on Sunday (February 26) featuring traditional Palestinian dishes prepared by women from the Ain al-Helwe and Nahr al-Bared camps.
• Child Labour entrenched in Lebanon’s deprived regions, says ILO-USJ research  - (pdf 209KB) • Arabic - (pdf 86KB)
  15 February 2012 - Deteriorating socio-economic conditions and school drop outs have led to a nationwide increase in child labour, particularly in the North and Beqaa, according to two studies launched by the International Labour Organization and the Université Saint Joseph on Wednesday (February 15) at UNESCO Palace.
• Global Employment Trends 2012: World faces a 600 million jobs challenge, warns ILO • Arabic
  24 January 2012 - The world faces the "urgent challenge" of creating 600 million productive jobs over the next decade in order to generate sustainable growth and maintain social cohesion, according to the ILO annual report on global employment by the International Labour Organization.
• Media Advisory: ILO to issue annual report on global employment trends and the jobs crisis - (pdf 97KB) • Arabic - (pdf 155KB)
  18 January 2012 - The International Labour Organization (ILO) is to issue its annual Global Employment Trends report (GET) against the background of a lingering jobs crisis and the prospects of a further deterioration of economic activity.